Bill Van Der Giessen bought this building for $85,000 on Feb. 19. He plans to put in a tapas bar and restaurant called Cielo Grand, which means Big Sky in Spanish, there. / Jonathan Bird/News Herald

Written by

Watchdog/enterprise reporter

PORT CLINTON — Two downtown storefronts will be filled with new businesses this spring, and other businesses are moving to more prominent places downtown.

And the city is planning a major infrastructure upgrade for Second Street, a main corridor to downtown, that will include putting utilities underground, new sidewalks and street repaving, Port Clinton Area Chamber of Commerce President Laura Schlachter said.

She and downtown business owner Bill Van Der Giessen hope the combination of activity and infrastructure improvements will bring momentum to filling other open spaces downtown and bring more activity to the area.

“I think Port Clinton is on the cusp of some really exciting things,” Van Der Giessen said. “I think there is renewed energy in Port Clinton.

“It’s just a great little town with all the potential in the world.”

Van Der Giessen bought the vacant building at 117 Madison St. that last housed Big Sky Saloon last week for $85,000, according to the Ottawa County Auditor’s Office. The structure was built in the late 1800s and features exposed brick on both levels.

“This is the neatest building,” he said. “I like this old-era feeling that this and the 1812 (another downtown business he owns) have. It takes you back in time to when things were a lot simpler.”

He plans to put in a tapas bar —— meaning appetizers, drinks and a small number of entrees and specials will be served — called Cielo Grande, which means “big sky” in Spanish.

He is refurbishing the restaurant and plans to keep the bar, fireplace and mounted elk and moose heads that were prominent in Big Sky Saloon. The large booths, except for one that will playfully be called the VIP section, have been removed.

Van Der Giessen hopes to open Cielo Grande by mid-April. It will employ an estimated 12 people who will work full-time in the summer, and some will be part-time in the winter, he said.

A few storefronts down the street, Chicago businessman Ben Topaz plans to open a shop that sells resort wear in April at 121 Madison St., which housed PC Discount until the convenience store closed, Schlachter said. Topaz was not available for comment.

“He does this in other resort towns in Wisconsin,” Schlachter said. “He chose this because he saw the downtown’s potential and thought Port Clinton was a really cute town.”

Meanwhile, On Point Wellness has moved from Topaz’s building into the building that used to house Pin-Ups Hair Studio on Madison Street.

Erie Shores Chiropractic moved from Second Street to Madison Street, and Lilly & Gert’s vintage items and jewelry store is moving from Jefferson Street to Erie Shores Chiropractic’s old space, Schlachter said.

There also has been interest in the Underwood’s building, which most recently housed Underwood’s Grill, she said.

“I’ve had three other people that I’m meeting with who want to open businesses,” she said. “I think things are coming together. I think it’s taken time, but of course, nothing happens overnight.

“I think right now the action is in downtown.”

She is pleased to have another restaurant because it will add to local offerings and things to do. Van Der Giessen also owns the 1812 restaurant in the Island House and neighboring Rosie’s and said the businesses are doing well because of support from locals.

Having multiple choices for tourists and visitors should help the downtown, as well, he said.

“If you have attractive venues with great offerings, people will travel a great distance to go to them,” Van Der Giessen said.